1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new method and apparatus for making a plastic lens, such as an optical lens for use in eyeglasses and the like, as well as to a new plastic lens made by such method and/or apparatus.
2. Prior Art Statement
It is known to form a plastic lens by disposing a lens forming material comprising a liquid monomer and a photosensitive initiator into a mold cavity defined in part between a pair of spaced apart mold members each having a lens forming surface means facing the cavity and an outer opposed surface means, and then directing rays of ultraviolet light from a source thereof against the outer surface means of at least one of the mold members so as to pass therethrough to act on the lens forming material in the cavity to produce the lens therefrom. For example, see the Neefe U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,088.
Also see the Hungerford et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,038,210 and the Grandperret U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,432 for similar apparatus wherein the lens forming material is heated in the mold cavity by external heat producing means.
Also see the Mutzhas U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,005 for disclosing a particular structure for creating ultraviolet light with the wavelength thereof in the range of 320 NM to 450 NM for hardening plastics.